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Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 20, 2003
Contact: Melissa Sattley
(512) 463-0120
Zandra Zuniga
(361) 299-2788
Sen. Hinojosa Voices Disappointment Over Vetoes

AUSTIN -- State Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa said he was disappointed to hear that Gov. Rick Perry had vetoed two of his bills Friday.

Senate Bill 315, which would have allowed Del Mar Community College in Corpus Christi to expand its taxing district, was vetoed as well as SB 1597 dubbed "the Soccer Mom bill" by the press.

"I'm very disappointed that the governor has vetoed the Del Mar bill, which would have resulted in improved educational opportunities," Sen. Hinojosa said. "Study after study shows that an educated community creates a strong economy and puts more money in peoples' pockets who in turn pay their fair share of taxes."

Gov. Perry told the Senator that he may bring up the issue during a special session.

"We cannot talk from both sides of our mouth, we either support education or we do not," Sen. Hinojosa said.

Sen. Hinojosa said he was also greatly disappointed that the governor had vetoed SB 1597.

The bill would have allowed police chiefs to set policies on how arrests should be handled, which are punishable only by fine and not jail time. The bill stemmed from an incident where a suburban mother on the way to her child's soccer game was stopped for not wearing a seatbelt. The officer arrested her for the offense and put her in jail.

"This bill was completely misread," Sen. Hinojosa said. "Police chiefs in charge of their officers should be able to set policy on when to arrest somebody or not for a Class C misdemeanor."

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